Mortal Instruments: Hybrid
by dicarten-ice
Summary: When Jake woke up in a glass tube, he didn't know who he was or what he was. What will happen as he joins the New York City Institute and searches for the truth of his past? Rated T for future content. Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1—The Beginning

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I was born in a glass tube. Literally. I felt myself floating in a liquid, but had breathing equipment hooked up to my mouth and nose so that I could breathe. I could feel needles in my arms. I opened my eyes and saw a blue liquid flowing around my body, which happened to be naked. Bubbles appeared every once in a while, floating past my face. I knew I wasn't supposed to be there, and could somehow figure out that I was older than a newborn. I was sure I knew how to speak, do basic math, and other things like that, but didn't know who I was. I didn't know my name, where I was, or why I was in a glass tube.

A few seconds later, though, I saw figures approach through the frosted glass, so I narrowed my eyes and focused on my hearing.

"It's amazing," I heard the first person say. I'll just refer to him as #1.

"Yes, it is," the second person, who I'm just calling #2, agreed. "Professor Kingsmill, you have done the impossible. It has never been even considered to combine the blood of one of us with a warlock. Warlocks have never been able to reproduce, and to create one alone is miraculous, but to combine it with Nephilim blood as well is even greater. If it survives, we will be able to mass-produce dozens of these creatures."

"Thank you, Director," #1, apparently known as 'Prof. Kingsmill', replied. "It was only through your organization that I was able to do this, though. These creatures will be stronger and faster than most Nephilim and have enhanced hearing and sight as well while retaining some magical powers and extended life from the warlock blood. Hopefully, it will even be able to receive runes."

"Director, we're receiving vital signals from the specimen," somebody that appeared to be right in front of me said. "The machines are sensing a heartbeat, brainwaves, and other information. It's alive."

"Wake it up," Kingsmill told the technician. A button must have been pressed, because the glass cleared up, so I had to quickly close my eyes.

"Beginning awakening sequence," I heard the tech said. I wasn't sure what he was talking about, but I soon discovered it when I felt a surge of electricity surge through my body, causing it to spasm. I didn't know who these people were or what they were doing, but I was determined not to let them win. The entire thing sounded evil, so I kept my eyes shut.

"Sirs, the sequence is not affecting it," he told the Director and Kingsmill when I felt the pain abate. I heard the crank of a lever and a twinge of pain, but it ceased to hurt. "It appears that it is absorbing the energy itself and using it to gain strength."

I could sense what he was talking about. I felt power build up inside me, but when he stopped the sequence it faded.

"We'll need a different approach to…persuade it to wake up," the Director said.

"Remember, we must not harm it," Kingsmill told them. "This is the first specimen to survive to this age."

_First specimen_. That meant there were others before me to do…whatever I was doing.

"Don't worry, Professor," the Director told him. "I have no intention to harm it, just a little adrenaline to give the body a good shock of energy."

I resisted the urge to open my eyes and look around, and felt a strange liquid enter my body.

"Where is his warlock's mark?" the Director asked suddenly.

"His white hair and, maybe, his eyes. We will figure it out when he opens them," Kingsmill assured the Director.

As they spoke the liquid coursed through my body, making my heart race. My eyes shot open and I took a deep gasp as I felt a power unravel from deep within me.

"There you are," the Director commented. I looked around and saw that the Director is a tall, broad-shouldered man and that Kingsmill is much smaller, wearing a lab coat in contrast to the black gear the Director was wearing.

I looked around wildly as I struggled to contain the mysterious energy inside me, or at least focus it.

"Sirs, we have an energy buildup," another technician a few feet to my right said, pressing a few buttons. "The adrenaline seems to have awakened his magic."

_Magic? Cool._ I thought as I focused the energy at the glass around me.

"Contain it!" Kingsmill shouted, running over to the computer. The Director just stood there, grinning cockily at me as I gathered as much of my energy as I could.

When I felt the first of the drugs reach my systems I released the energy in a sizzling sphere of blue fire, destroying the tank, vaporizing the glass, and detaching me from the machines as well as knocking everyone else out.

Immediately a siren sounded, shining bright red against the stark white walls.

I jumped off the spot the tube was based in and ran out, shivering from the cold air.

"Stop!" I heard a faint voice cry behind me as I sprinted out the door into a white hallway that stretched almost endlessly both left and right.

I randomly chose the left side and ran as fast as I could until I reached a room full of lockers. They were all locked, but one touch from my hands, still sparking with energy, melted the locks so that I could steal some clothes. It took me several tries to find the proper sizes for me, but finally found an outfit completely of black that was in my size.

As I walked out I looked in a mirror and saw my face for the first time.

I was about 6 feet tall, fairly muscular for being stuck in a glass tube my entire life. My hair was snow white with a strange silvery sheen, and my eyes were even more shocking.

The irises were neon blue.

"That must be what they meant by a 'warlock's mark'," I said, testing my voice for the first time. I had opened the door to walk out when Kingsmill rushed past me, not paying any attention.

I snarled and closed the door, alerting him to my presence.

"If you even think about calling for help, I'll kill you," I said, a dangerous tone in my voice.

"You need to calm down," he said. "We can help you control what you can do."

"Yeah, by sticking me in another glass tube and drugging me," I growled. My voice was kinda gravelly and hoarse from never being used before. I grabbed him by the neck and slammed him against the lockers. "Who am I? Did you ever give me a name?"

"Of course we did," he said. "We give all our subjects names."

"What. Is. It?" I growled, pushing to the point of choking.

"Jacob…" he began. His face began to turn purple so I released my grip slightly. "Jacob…DiCarten."

"What am I?" I demanded.

"An experiment," he said. I pushed harder. "Okay, okay." I lightened my grip. "You are a hybrid warlock/Nephilim."

"What are those?" I demanded.

He stayed silent, so I pushed harder and harder until he passed out. I placed him on the ground and searched him for any weapons. I only found a walkie-talkie, which I destroyed, a key card, which I took, and a strange stylus-like item. It was silvery and had a clear crystal point and wouldn't be much use in a fight, but I kept it just in case it would come in handy.

When I was done in there I snuck out and flipped up the hood on the black hoodie I was wearing. I wandered through the building, always careful to hide whenever a patrol passed by.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, I came upon what looked like the entrance. It was a large room with a desk at one side. Everything was white, from the walls to the color of the guard's clothes.

"Hello," the guard said, trying to be friendly as I passed by. It was raining out, but I would have to deal with it if I was going to escape.

I nodded, trying to avoid suspicion, but met his eyes, or I assumed I did. He was wearing sunglasses. It was either that or he noticed my hair.

"Hey!" he began, drawing a large knife. He murmured a name and it blazed to life as he ran at me.

I drew up the power from before and blasted him with the fire, rendering him unconscious.

The constant use of my magic was beginning to wear on me, but I managed to walk over to the guard and steal his knife, the light on which had gone out, and his other weapons before pulling on his sunglasses.

When I hid him behind the counter I drank the fresh drink on his desk. Don't ask me how, but I knew he hadn't drank from it yet. It tasted horribly bitter, but some energy returned, so I finished it off and refilled it from a pot.

With the pleasant boost in energy rushing through my veins I reigned in my powers and flipped my hood up again. I saw an umbrella hanging on a rack and grabbed it. It took me a couple minutes to figure out how to work it before I popped it open and walked out into the rain.

I was instantly surrounded by noise, the blaring of cars, people walking through the rain and more. Countless skyscrapers surrounded me, so I cautiously walked along the sidewalk.

After thirty minutes of walking I noticed that I was instinctually following a magical trail, probably left by another warlock, whatever those are. Hoping that it would lead me to safety, I followed it until dawn, when I arrived at a large area of warehouses. I still continued, though, until I reached an apartment. The label at the door read 'MAGNUS BANE'.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2—Magnus Bane

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The trail led past the door, so I frantically knocked on it over and over until I heard somebody at the other side of the door.

"What do you want?" a tall, slender man with dark skin and cat-like eyes demanded when he opened the door to look at me.

I pulled down the hood and removed my sunglasses. "Please, are you Magnus Bane?"

"Yes, which means that if you don't want to be turned into a toad, I suggest you explain what you want, young warlock," he snapped.

"Please, I need help," I told him. "I don't know who I am, what I am, or what any of this is," I said, waving my hands in a big circle, generating sparks around my fingers as I did so.

He raised his eyebrows. "Oh, really?" he asked. "What's a warlock, then?"

"A what?" I asked him. Something in the confused look I gave him must have helped him figure out I was serious, because he opened the door the rest of the way.

"Come in," he said sullenly. "This seems pretty serious."

"Thank you," I told him as he led me to his living room.

"Who was at the door…" a boy my age began as he walked in from what I assumed was the bedroom. "Who's this?" he demanded, jealousy tinting his voice.

"Oh, calm down, Alec," Magnus said. "This is…what's your name?"

"Jacob DiCarten, but you can just call me Jacob or Jake," I said.

"Yeah, that," Magnus said. "He's also a warlock, but claims to have no idea who he is."

"I'm serious," I told him. "I was only able to find my way here because I followed your magic trail from the lab I broke out of."

"A lab?" Alec asked me. "Why were you in a lab?"

"Let me figure this out," Magnus told us. He had me sit down and sat beside me, Alec across from us. "Face me," he said. I turned toward him and he placed his hands on my head. I saw all my memories flash before my eyes, from waking up in the tube to arriving at Magnus' house.

"Hm," he said. "This is not good."

"What's wrong with me?" I demanded.

"Show me the stele you stole from the professor, James," he told me.

"It's Jake, and what's a stele?" I asked him.

"The pen-like item you have in your hoodie pocket next to the seraph blade you are currently clutching with your right hand," he said casually. I hadn't even realized I was holding the strange knife, but Alec stiffened up as I pulled out the stele and handed it to Magnus.

"That's a Shadowhunter stele," Alec said, snatching it from Magnus.

"I need you to give Jacob an energy rune," Magnus told Alec.

"WHAT?" Alec demanded. "It's impossible to use runes on Downworlders!"

"Believe me," Magnus told Alec, placing a hand on Alec's. "I've seen what this boy has seen. If what his memories tell me is true, it will work. Just do it."

"Hold out your arm," Alec growled, pulling out his own stele and placing the one I took on the table. I held out my arm and rolled up the sleeve to reveal my pale skin.

He set his stele to my skin and began to draw a symbol. As he did so I tensed up from the burning pain. My power began to rise up in an instinctual urge to protect myself, but I kept them under control

When Alec was finished with the rune I felt a surge of energy through my body. I looked down on the mark and saw that it was completely black, although very gradually fading if one paid enough attention.

"What…How is this possible?" Alec demanded. He grabbed my wrist, but I pulled it away from him, pushing the sleeve down.

"Jacob, I think it would be best if you would explain," Magnus told me.

I looked at Alec and sighed. "About four or five hours ago, I woke up for the first time in a glass tube," I began. Alec laughed but Magnus gave him a quieting look so that I could continue.

"Before that moment, I had no memories," I explained. "I'm not sure if they took my memories or if I never had any, but I didn't know who I was, where I was, or why I was floating in a glass tube. Soon two people walked up, known as the Director and Professor Kingsmill. They talked about me being a 'specimen', a hybrid of warlock and Shadowhunter, the first ever. According to them, I'm stronger and faster than Shadowhunters with sharpened senses while retaining the magic and warlock's mark. I'm not immortal, but my life will be much longer than a normal person's. I managed to focus my powers to escape, acquiring clothes and sunglasses to hide my hair and eyes, which would be dead giveaways to anybody looking for me."

"What happened then?" Alec asked me.

"I went outside and followed a magic trail here," I added. "You guys know the rest."

"Are you sure the people that…held you were Shadowhunters?" Alex asked me.

"Yeah, the Director even had some black gear on," I replied.

"We need to tell the Clave about this," Alec began.

"What?" I demanded. I still had no idea what the terminology they were using meant.

"Oh, yeah," Alec said. "Shadowhunters, also known as Nephilim, hunt demons. We have angel blood in our veins, enhancing our abilities."

"Warlocks are the offspring of demons and humans," Magnus added. "We are immortal and have the gift of magic. We also have warlock's marks, which are inhuman characteristics that set us apart from everyone else. Yours are your eyes and hair, maybe your skin if it doesn't darken over time."

I nodded. The energy rune must have worn off, because I felt exhausted.

"I'll find him a room to stay in," Magnus told Alec as I passed out on the couch. "You need to alert the Clave and have them send people over in the morning."

I heard Alec say something as Magnus picked me and carried me into a spare room. I managed to remove my boots and crawl under the covers by myself.

"Thank you, Magnus," I muttered as he walked out.

"Of course," he replied before closing the door behind him.

As I slept I dreamt about the time I spent in the glass tube. I looked at myself from an outsider's view, watching as I floated in the liquid while being unable to help.

I was about to scream from frustration when I heard the bedroom door open in real life, waking me up.

I lurched up, pulling out one of the knives I stole, but before I could activate it a strong hand grabbed my wrist as another grabbed the knife. Both hands were attached to a boy around 18 years old with blonde hair and golden eyes. Behind him was a short girl with red hair, Alec, a girl that could be his sister, and a guy the same age with brown hair and glasses.

"Who are you guys?" I demanded. My hands began sparking again and the boy holding my knife pulled away before he could be burned.

"Easy, Jake," Alec told me. "They're friends of mine, also Shadowhunters. This is Jace Herondale, Clary Fray, Isabelle Lightwood, and Simon Lewis."

"You didn't say he's a warlock," Jace, the one with my knife, commented.

"It's a long story," I replied. "Can I have my knife back now?"

"Do you even know how to use these?" he asked me, twirling it in front of my nose. "Being a warlock and all."

I reached out and tried to grab it, but he somehow moved faster than me. "I bet you five bucks I can use it," I told him.

"Uh, you kinda can't," Jace said with a laugh. "Downworlders can use seraph blades."

"What's wrong?" Alec asked with a chuckle. "Afraid to lose a bet?"

Jace frowned but handed the knife back to me once I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes.

I grabbed it and thought back to the word the guard used for it. "Raphael," I whispered when I remembered the word. The seraph blade erupted in light, surprising all of us.

"I win the bet," I said triumphantly. He frowned but handed me five bucks.

"How is this possible?" Isabelle asked me. "Only Shadowhunters can do this."

"Did Alec tell you about my memory problems?" I asked them.

"Yeah," Simon said. He looked a lot newer than the rest, with less runes on his body.

"Good," I said. I told them my story and what I am.

"So you're some sort of…hybrid?" Jace asked me.

"Exactly," I replied. "I can receive runes but cast warlock spells."

"Cool," Simon commented.

"I thought it was impossible," Isabelle added.

"Everyone did until I woke up in a glass tube yesterday," I told them. "Apparently, I'm the first person to survive this. The people that created me mentioned making an army of hybrids before I broke out, though."

"What should we do?" Clary asked Jace.

"Well, we'll have to tell the Clave eventually," Jace said. "When they receive the message, you'll most likely be sent to Idris. Until then, you should stay with us to train and be safe. You'll still have to do some training with Magnus."

"Thanks," I said. "Yesterday I had a bitter drink that was really hot. Do you have it here?"

"You mean coffee?" Alec asked me. "No, we don't, although there's a coffee place along with way to the Institute."

"Can we stop there on the way?" I asked them. "I could use the boost."

"Sure," Clary told me as I pulled on my boots and laced them up.

"Thank you again, Magnus Bane, for helping me," I told Magnus before we left. "I owe you one."

He nodded in acknowledgement as we left.

"Where did you get those clothes?" Isabelle asked me.

"I broke into a locker room and took them," I told her. "These were the only clothes that fit me."

We walked through the city and stopped at the coffee place, where I ordered a very tall cup of coffee.

"How can you drink all that coffee?" Simon asked as they watched me drink the entire thing.

"I like it," I said with the shrug. "It's the only thing I have ever drank, so I have nothing else to compare it to."

"Well, you're going to regret drinking that much coffee," Clary told me. "Once it wears off you'll probably crash."

"Crash?" I asked. "Crash into what?"

Simon stifled a laugh as Isabelle glared at him. "Crashing is when the energy buzz of caffeine wears off," she explained.

"Oh." I said. The five Shadowhunters formed a circle around me, moving as one as we walked through the streets to the Institute. As we went I saw a couple warlocks on the other side of the street. They were different, though. They didn't have warlock's marks.

"They're wearing glamours," Clary told me when she noticed my stares. "Just relax and let it come to you."

I took a deep breath and sighed. Gradually the glamours faded and I saw them. one of them had bright purple skin with long green horns, and the other looked fairly normal except for the blue tail wrapped around his waist.

"Whoa," I muttered, looking straight ahead. As we continued I noticed that we were taking a patch that took us straight past the lab I broke out of.

I stiffened up but continued, making sure to keep my stolen seraph blades close at hand.

A few minutes later we walked past the tall building the lab was located in. I looked in and saw a team of Shadowhunters talking. They all wore gear.

I tried to stay looking straight ahead of me, but couldn't help looking inside just as one of the Shadowhunters looked up. He stiffened up and shouted my name. The others must have heard it, because we went from a brisk walk to a sprint. I quickly moved to the front of the group, next to Jace. I don't know how, but he was able to keep up with me.

"Stay with Jace!" Simon yelled as they stayed behind to distract the Nephilim chasing us.

We continued around the corner, when we stopped.

"The Institute is a large church," Jace told me, putting an invisibility rune on my wrist. "Run this way three blocks, then right for two more."

"Where are you going?" I demanded.

"To help," he replied before rounding the corner.

I ran for about half a block before I sighed and turned around to run back to the fight. The five were doing well against the ten, but were slowly losing. They needed help.

I ran over and my hands began to spark as I pushed the ten back with a wall of fames.

"I thought I told you to _go_!" Jace growled.

"You did," I replied. "Now go. I'll catch up with you guys."

They were frozen in place, looking at the shield I constructed.

"GO!" I screamed. My magic was beginning to run low.

They took off, and once they had gotten away I took off as well, abandoning the shield. Right before I rounded the corner I felt something hit my right shoulder. I grimaced but continued, using my speed to catch up with the others.

"Why didn't you go on?" Alec demanded.

"You guys needed help," I gasped.

"Who were those guys, anyways?" Simon asked me.

"I think they work for the people that held me," I explained. "I knocked one of them out and stole his sunglasses and coffee."

"Well, he certainly remembers you," Jace said with a chuckled.

"I think the hair gave me away," I replied, running my hand through my hair.

"You think?" Jace said as we continued running. My shoulder continued to ache and blood began running down my arm, but I kept up the pace to prevent slowing them down. A few blocks later we reached the Institute, a very large church. We opened the doors and waked in.

"This place is huge," I managed to gasp as black spots danced in front of my eyes.

"Are you okay?" Jace asked me.

"Oh, no," Clary gasped, gently touching my shoulder. I pulled it away, but the pain caused me to black out.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3—Blackout

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"We need to get him to the infirmary," Isabelle said as I hit the ground.

"Not enough time," Clary and Jace said at the same time. They turned me onto my stomach and Clary began sketching runes next to the wound, dulling the pain when Jace pulled out the object that hit my shoulder. I heard him swear.

"The knife was poisoned," he growled, tossing the knife on the ground. "Clary, can you stop the poison's progress long enough for us to get him to the infirmary?"

"Probably," she said, drawing one more rune. When she finished Jace picked me up and we took an elevator up a level to what I assume was the infirmary.

"What happened to him?" an unfamiliar voice asked.

"Hit by a poisoned knife," Jace said briefly. "I'm not sure what kind of poison it was, though."

"We'll have to hope for the best," she said, using something to place a few drops of liquid onto the open wound. My back arched in pain as it sizzled.

"This is a powerful poison, most likely demon poison of some kind," she said. She tried several different combinations, and after what felt like the fifth unsuccessful attempt the right antidote was found, easing the pain. They placed a few healing runes, _iratzes_, on my shoulder to close the wound.

"Who is this?" the woman asked the others. "You never told me."

"It's the person I called you about last night, Mom," Alec said. "He was hit as we made our way here."

"How? Who hit him?" she demanded.

"Let's explain this in the library," Alec said. "Simon, stay here and let us know when Jacob wakes up."

"Sure," Simon said. I heard him pull up a chair, but after that I fell too deeply asleep to listen any more.

As I slept I dreamt an odd dream. I was watching two adults, one of whom was holding a small child. They were looking over a large city.

"Jacob, this is Alicante," the mother said. "It's the capital of our great country, Idris."

I walked over to them and saw a large city. Two large towers were in the city, made from the same material as seraph blades.

"What kind of dream is this?" I said. I walked over to the couple and looked down on the couple. The father was about my height and similar build and the mother was a bit shorter with light blonde hair. I looked down at the baby and jumped.

Its hair looked like mine.

"This isn't a dream, this is a memory," I said. The dream changed suddenly. It went from middle of the day to night, a few weeks later. Several Shadowhunters snuck up on the house the three people lived in, taking care of any alarms before sneaking in. I ran inside and saw the parents, my parents, I realized, fighting the Shadowhunters. They were overpowered and killed, though, and I watched as the Shadowhunters took me from my crib and took me away. I followed the man who was the one to kill my parents, and when light shined on his face my eyes widened, shocked.

It was the Director.

"No!" I screamed. I tried to fling fire at him, but my powers didn't work in the dream. I kept screaming until I was shaken awake.

"Jake! It's just a dream!" Simon yelled, shaking me awake.

My eyes shot open and I sat up, almost hitting my head on his. There were scorch marks on the sheets and bed.

"Sorry about the bed," I told him.

"It's fine," he assured me. I put my head in my hands and thought back to the mysterious dream I had.

"I'll go tell the others you're awake," Simon told me.

"Kay," I replied. He left the room and I concentrated on the dream, or was it a memory? I wasn't sure. The child looked like me, but I was sure they made me like that. One thing I knew for sure, though, was that I wasn't born part-warlock. The baby's eyes weren't the same bright blue as mine.

Before I could think about anything else the infirmary doors opened and Simon, Alec, Isabelle, Clary, Jace, and Alec and Isabelle's mother walked in.

"Good, you're awake," Alec's mom said.

"Um, okay?" I replied, confused.

"Alec explained everything to me," she said. "My name is Maryse Lightwood, and I am the head of this Institute."

"Nice to meet you," I replied. "I'm Jacob."

"Jacob DiCarten, I know," she said.

"Actually, I'm not sure what my last name is anymore," I said with a sigh.

"What?" she demanded. "What do you mean, you're not sure what your last name is?"

"A doctor gave me that name," I told her. "Plus, I had this strange dream."

"What kind of dream?" Clary asked me.

"I'm actually not sure if it was a dream," I replied. "It felt more like a memory. I was watching a Shadowhunter couple holding a baby while looking over the city of Alicante. The mother called the baby 'Jacob', and he had the same hair as me. He didn't have the same, eyes, though. They were a normal blue. I saw another memory, a few weeks later and at night, of Shadowhunters breaking into my parents' house and killing them, kidnapping me in the process. That means I was born a Shadowhunter, and 'DiCarten' doesn't sound like a Shadowhunter name."

"Whoa," Jace said. "How did you do that all in one breath?"

"Jace, be nice," Clary said.

"I thought you couldn't remember anything," Alec commented.

"Apparently, memories are beginning to come back," I replied. "Before, we just thought that I never had memories before I woke up, but they were just well-suppressed. Having Magnus read my memories or something must have begun unlocking them."

"That's good," Maryse said. "I contacted the members of the Conclave so that we can have a meeting. After that, we'll go to the Clave."

"What's the difference?" I asked her. "Between the Clave and Conclave, I mean."

"The Conclave is the gathering of Shadowhunters in our area," Jace said. "The Clave is all Shadowhunters."

"Oh."

"We meet tonight to discuss you," she said. "You five are allowed to come, since you are 18 or older," she added, looking to the other five teenagers. "Jacob, how old are you?"

"Good question. I have no idea," I told her.

She looked me up and down a few times. "You look about 18. You're allowed to go, too."

"Only Shadowhunters eighteen years old or older are allowed to go," Simon explained.

"Thanks," I replied. I sat up and the sheets fell down to my stomach. "Can I have a shirt since you took mine?"

"Well, it was covered in blood," Jace said.

"I'll get you a shirt," Simon said. "You look about my size."

"Thanks," I told him. He nodded and left.

"How long was I out?" I asked them as I stretched my back.

"About a day, give or take an hour," Isabelle said. "We took shifts looking over you."

"Okay."

The next few minutes were filled with an awkward silence until Simon came in with a black tee shirt.

"I figured you'd like another black shirt," Simon explained, tossing it to me.

"Thanks," I replied, pulling it over my head. It was a bit tighter than my old shirt, but would work.

"Do you think you could've gotten him a tighter shirt?" Clary said sarcastically.

"Yeah, but then it wouldn't fit him," Simon said with as much sarcasm as she used.

They just rolled their eyes as I looked around for my hoodie.

"Where's my hoodie?" I asked them.

"It had to be trashed as well," Jace said. "Sorry."

"Where are my weapons and stele?" I asked them.

"You gave him weapons?" Maryse demanded.

"I stole them from the people that were holding me in the tube," I explained to her. "Even though my magic works as well as a weapon, I've gotten used to the blades."

"Of course," she said. Isabelle held out a box from a table next to me.

"We put your stuff in here," she told me. I accepted the box and removed the two seraph blades and stele. They even put a weapons belt in the box for me. They watched me as I figured out how to put on the belt and attach my blades and stele.

"Your boots are right here," Clary said, tossing me my boots.

I climbed out of the bed and pulled on the boots.

"I'll show you to your room," Simon said when I was ready to go. I followed him through the halls as he talked about how he used to be mundane.

"I actually used to be a vampire," he told me. "It was taken away from me by a demon, though, along with my memories. Clary and the others managed to recover my memories and Ascended me to be a Shadowhunter. Ascension is when a mundane becomes a Shadowhunter by drinking from the Mortal Cup."

"That's cool," I replied. "What's with Clary and Jace? It's like they never leave the other's side."

He chuckled. "They're in love," he said simply.

"Like you and Isabelle?" I asked him.

"What?" he sputtered.

"I see the way you two look at each other," I said. "If it were any more obvious, it would be like Clary and Jace."

"Oh," he said, smiling faintly.

We walked a few more minutes before we reached two rooms, the doors to which were open. Each looked like it had been recently cleaned.

"Yours is the one on the right," he told me.

"Thanks. Were you guys expecting visitors?" I asked him.

"The Clave alerted us that they plan to assign two Shadowhunters here," he said. "Once a Shadowhunter reaches 18 they are usually either assigned to Idris or another Institute."

"Oh. If you're expecting two people, I can take a different room," I told him. "I don't want to disrupt anything."

"It's fine," he assured me. "If they have you stay they'll most likely send one Shadowhunter instead of two."

I nodded and walked in the room. It had a faint Victorian/Gothic style with a red carpet, a red four-poster bed and Victorian era furniture. There was a trunk at the end of the bed, which I sat on as I looked at the rest of the room. There was a modern bathroom attached to one wall and a chair and desk in one corner.

"What do you think?" Simon asked me.

"It's great," I replied.

"My room's three rooms to the left in case you need anything," he added. "Let me know when you're done in here."

I nodded and he left. I opened the trunk and found a couple sets of combat gear and a black suit. The gear actually would have fit me perfectly, but I didn't try it on in case I couldn't stay there. I checked the drawers of the dresser and the closet, but both were empty.

"That was fast," Simon commented when I knocked on his door five minutes later.

"There wasn't much for me to do," I told him. He took me up to the library, where I was in awe. There were countless stacks of books, and in the middle was a mural of an angel rising out of a lake with a sword in one hand and a golden chalice in the other.

"It's a picture of the Angel Raziel rising out of Lake Lyn to create the first Shadowhunters and bestow upon them the Mortal Instruments," Clary explained, looking up from a sketchbook at us.

"Mortal Instruments?" I asked her.

"The Mortal Sword, Mortal Cup, and Mortal Mirror," Simon said.

"There's no mirror in the picture," I added.

"Lake Lyn acts as the Mirror," Clary said.

"Oh."

"There you are," Maryse said as she walked up to us from behind a row of books. "I need you to ask you some questions before the meeting begins."

"Sure, go ahead," I told her, sitting at a table.

"Where you were held, it was a lab, correct?" she asked, writing something on a paper.

"True," I told her.

"The doctor's name was Kingsmill?" she added.

"Also true."

"Can you describe the Director for me?" she asked me.

'"Sure," I replied. "He's a bit taller than me, much bulkier, has blackish hair, steely gray eyes, and has a slight tan."

"You sure have a good description of him," she said.

"He was the first person I saw when I woke up, beside myself," I told her. "Him and Kingsmill, that is."

"Describe Kingsmill for me," she told me.

"A few inches shorter than me, very thin, dark skin, black hair, brown eyes," I explained. "He wears glasses, too."

"Okay, that was all," she said. "The Conclave will most likely ask you the same questions later, but I needed to record this beforehand."

"Of course," I replied. My stomach growled loudly, drawing everyone's attention.

"When was the last time you ate something?" Clary asked me.

"Um…before I was kidnapped, over ten years ago," I told her. "Since then I've always had needles in me pumping in nutrients."

"That's not good," she stated.

"We can go to Taki's for lunch," Jace suggested.

"I'll call Magnus so that he can meet us there," Alec added as we all stood up at once.

"Can you guys get Jake a jacket first?" Maryse asked them. "It's still raining out."

"Sure," Jace said. "One of my jackets should work for you."

"Thanks," I told him. We walked to the elevator and first went down to the level with all the bedrooms, where Jace raced out and got back in thirty seconds flat, a leather jacket in his hand.

"Here you go," he told me, tossing me the jacket. I pulled it on along with my sunglasses before we walked out into the rain.

"Can't you create some kind of spell to keep us dry or something?" Jace complained after a block of walking.

"I don't really know how to create spells, but I'll try," I muttered. I moved my hands in a pattern and created a shield above our heads, working as a shield.

"That's better, thanks," Jace said.

"No prob," I replied.

We walked the rest of the way to Taki's Diner, which is a nice little diner a few blocks from the Institute. When we arrived I saw several warlocks, vampires, and werewolves among the people there.

"Don't stare," Alec told me. He spotted Magnus and we followed him to the large table Magnus was sitting at.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4—Taki's

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Disclaimer: I do not own the Mortal Instruments or its characters.

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"Good idea with the shield," Magnus told me as I sat down next to him.

"You saw?" I asked him.

"I noticed as I walked in," he said. "A bit crude, but it does the job."

"Thanks," I replied. He nodded as a fairy waitress walked up to us, handing out the menus.

"Uh…" I began. The menu had orders for blood and raw meat.

Simon laughed and flipped over my menu, showing a list of human food.

"Do you know what you would like for a drink?" the waitress asked us.

I was right about to say "coffee" when Clary glared at me, so I just ordered a glass of water.

When she took all our drink orders she left to get our drinks.

"What happened yesterday?" Magnus asked us. "Alec didn't say anything."

"We were chased by the people from the lab," I said before I could be hushed.

"What?" he demanded.

"Yep," I replied. "They must've seen my hair as we walked by. I managed to push them back, but one of them got me in the shoulder with a poisoned knife."

"Where is the lab?" Magnus asked me.

"One block west of here, three blocks south," Jace said.

When the waitress came back with our drinks and had taken our food orders the door opened and you know who had to walk in?

Professor Kingsmill.

"Oh, crap," I muttered.

"What's wrong?" Simon asked me.

"Kingsmill, the professor dude," I hissed, wishing I could shrink myself or turn invisible.

They all turned and looked at Kingsmill for a split second before looking back at me.

"I'll get this," Magnus said. He snapped his fingers and to everyone else my hair grew longer and brown and my eyes became green once I removed the sunglasses.

"Thanks, Magnus," I told him.

"It wasn't much," he told me. "Just a simple glamour. We just have to hope he doesn't see past the glamour."

"_That's_ Kingsmill?" Alec and Isabelle asked me.

"Yeah, why?" I asked them.

"We know him," Alec told me. "He's a scientist that used to research the effect of combining Downworlder and Nephilim DNA. After he actually experimented on a live subject his funding was pulled. The last we knew, he was studying the effect of different combinations of runes."

"Apparently, he hasn't stopped his initial research," I told them.

When the waitress walked back to us she raised her eyebrows at the glamour but acted normal.

"The Fair Folk can see through glamours," Magnus explained.

"Kingsmill is here looking for you," Jace told me as he unfolded his napkin.

"How do you know?" I asked him.

He held up his napkin. On it was written the following message: _Kingsmill looking for warlock sitting next to Bane._

"The waitress and I are friends," he explained.

"Do you think he knows what you guys look like?" I asked them.

"Maybe, maybe not," Simon said. "There's no way to find out, so relax and eat."

I nodded and ate my burger, although I never looked away from Kingsmill, who was sitting at the opposite end of the diner from us.

"This place has amazing food," I commented when I finished my burger and washed it down with water.

"Yeah. Easily the best burgers in NYC, maybe the world," Jace commented.

"Agreed," Simon added.

As Magnus paid the bill Kingsmill looked over at us, and I looked sharply away.

"Kingsmill's staring at you," Alec told me as we stood up. I frowned but pulled on my sunglasses. I looked over at him again and his eyes widened for a split second.

"He's gotten past the glamour," I whispered to the others as we walked out. I heard him pay his bill and follow us, but didn't do anything, even when we walked into the Institute.

"Great," I said. "Now he knows where I am."

"He'll have figured it out eventually," Alec said. "He's coming to the Conclave meeting later. It'll be his only chance to legally get his hands on you."

"Great," I mumbled. There was a knock on the door so Simon answered it.

"Hello," I heard Kingsmill say. "I'm here for the Conclave meeting. Am I early?"

"Yeah, about an hour early," Simon told him.

"Ah, well," Kingsmill said. "May I at least come in and escape the rain?"

"Sure," Simon said, opening the door further.

"I'll be going," Magnus told us, ending the glamour and walking out as Kingsmill entered.

"Hello," Kingsmill told us. "I see you have a new member of your little team," he added, walking up to me. "May I have the pleasure of knowing your name?"

I removed the sunglasses and glared at him with my bright blue eyes. "No, you may not," I told him with a sneer.

His smile flickered for a second, replaced by a second of annoyance, before he was able to recover his smile. "How are you doing, Jacob?" he asked with fake interest.

"Ever since I woke up and broke out of your lab, awesome," I told him. "Same for before you kidnapped me and killed my parents."

He lost his cool for a full five seconds, surprise filling his eyes as his fists clenched. "Would you at least return my stele to me?" he asked through clenched teeth.

"Nope," I replied, pulling it out and twirling it around in my hand. "I think I deserve it since you performed experiments on me for most of my life and killed my parents."

"If you know this, surely you know I wasn't the one to kill your parents?" he asked me.

"Oh, that's right," I said, stopping the stele. "Your _boss_ did it since you wouldn't."

He sneered at me, and grabbed the front of the jacket I borrowed from Jace.

"You don't know who you're dealing with, _half-breed_," he growled.

"Don't wrinkle the jacket," I told him. "I'm borrowing it."

He sneered further but released me. This time it was my turn to grab him. I grabbed his shirt and picked him up, shoving him against the wall.

"You don't know who _you_ are dealing with," I growled. It took Alec, Simon and Jace to pull me away, and when they did I left scorch marks in Kingsmill's shirt.

"Kingsmill," Maryse said, walking up to us. "I suggest you go and wait in the meeting room," she told him, keeping an eye on me.

He frowned but walked past us to a staircase next to the elevator leading down.

"You shouldn't have let him get to you like that," Jace told me. "By the way, you can keep the jacket. I have others."

"Thanks, and he didn't get to me," I told them. "He threatened me, so I showed him not to mess with me. It probably didn't work, but it was worth a try."

"Yeah, well, now he's going to bring up the assault during the meeting," Maryse told me with a sigh.

"I don't care," I replied. "He threatened me, and I replied likewise. You can tell the Conclave that, too."

Maryse just sighed and slowly shook her head. "Your overconfidence isn't going to be very good for the meeting," she told me.

"Oh, this isn't overconfidence," I told her. "This is anger. That man performed experiments on me and made me a hybrid. I think I have the right to be a bit pissed off."

Her frown lessened but still didn't look happy. "Make sure you don't freak out at the meeting," she told me. "There will be roughly a hundred Shadowhunters, and many of them might not be pleased with the idea of a hybrid. If you lose it in there, they will use it as an excuse."

"I thought it was illegal to kill a Shadowhunter," I replied.

"It is, but people will overlook that law. They will view you as inhuman, a monster, and you need to prove them wrong," she explained.

I sighed and nodded. I focused on containing my anger as more and more Nephilim poured in through the doors, one or two at a time.

"Let's go down there," Jace told us. We walked over to the stairs and down to the meeting room, a large room with rows and rows of benches, gathered around a podium and reaching up to the ceiling.

"We're sitting up front," Alec told us, pointing to a row of empty seats. We made our way through the crowd, and as we went more and more people saw me, so rumors spread about a warlock being invited. I just rolled my eyes and continued until we got to our seats.

"Where's Kingsmill?" I asked them.

"Over there," Simon said, pointing to Kingsmill, who was sitting three rows above us, about fifty feet to the left.

At exactly eight o'clock the door closed and Maryse approached the podium.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5—The Conclave

Thank you HerondaleCake and lemonweirdness for the reviews! Everyone, please leave a review at the bottom! The more reviews I get the more chapters I'll post!

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"Thank you all for coming," Maryse said. She must either have a special rune or a loud voice, because her words sounded very loud. "We are here to discuss a situation that was revealed to us roughly a day ago. I was alerted of a teenager that is a Nephilim, like us, but is also a warlock."

The crowd immediately erupted in shouting about lies and deceit.

"Quiet!" Maryse yelled. Everyone went quiet. "Thank you. I will now call up the person I mentioned to tell us his story."

She looked to me and nodded. I stood up and walked up to the podium, and she stood next to me to discourage dissent from the audience.

"My name is Jacob," I said as loud as I could. "Roughly thirty-six hours ago, I woke up in a glass tube, surrounded by liquid and hooked up to multiple machines. I did not know who I was, where I was, or what I was. I heard people congratulating each other on creating a hybrid of warlock and Shadowhunter."

"Lies!" came several shouts from the audience. Maryse glared at them and they quieted so that I could finish my story, revealing Kingsmill's identity and everything that happened, from escaping the lab to the injury from the Director's men.

"I have something to say," someone said from the back. "DO YOU REALLY EXPECT US TO BELIEVE THIS!" he yelled. "This boy is obviously lying!"

"No, he is not," Maryse said. "I have seen him perform magic only a warlock could do. He can also receive runes, something no warlock could do. The only explanation for this would be a hybrid."

"What about Kingsmill?" the man demanded. "Call him up to the stand!"

"Jake, return to your seat," Maryse told me quietly before turning back to the audience. "Marcus Kingsmill, come speak before the Conclave."

I returned to my seat as Kingsmill walked up to the podium. The marks on his shirt were still completely visible.

"Marcus Kingsmill," Maryse began. "Is what this boy said true?"

"Absolutely not," Kingsmill said with an evil smile.

"He's lying!" all six of us yelled at once.

"How do you explain Jacob's condition?" she demanded.

"I don't know. The child is truly a freak of nature," he said.

Jace and Alec had to hold me in my chair and my hands at my side, ignoring the repeated shocks I was giving them.

"Don't give him the satisfaction," Alec growled at me. "If you attack, you give him the advantage."

I growled but tried to stay under control.

"You may return to your seat, Marcus," Maryse told him. He grinned one more time at me and returned to his seat.

"Shadowhunters!" Maryse called to the crowd. "What do you suggest we do on this subject."

"Kick him out!" someone screamed from the back.

"But what about our sworn duty to protect each other?" Maryse said.

"The boy is not Nephilim!" the same person yelled.

"The boy has Nephilim blood, and we all know Nephilim blood is dominant," she said. "That means that Jacob is one of us, and as such we must treat him as we would anyone else. Would anyone else like to propose a motion?"

"I'd like to move to allow Jacob to stay here at the Institute and train him in both the way of Nephilim and warlocks, being both," Alec said confidently, standing up.

"Do we have a second?" Maryse said.

"I second this motion," Jace said, standing as well with a cocky grin on his face.

"Let's put it to a vote," Maryse said. "All in favor say 'aye'."

There was a surprisingly loud chorus of 'aye's.

"All against say 'nay'."

There was a surprisingly soft chorus of 'nay's.

"It's decided," she said. "Jacob will stay and train to become a Nephilim, and at the same time train his magic. This meeting is now dismissed."

As people flooded out we high-fived each other.

"Congratulations, Jacob," Kingsmill said as he walked up to us. "Looks like you're staying."

"Yep," I replied.

"Make sure you don't forget the 'nay's, though," he told me. "Those are people who don't want you here, and chances are they'll do things to get you out. Don't forget that my invitation from your escape still stands. You are free to return any time."

"Yeah, and you can kiss my—" I began. I would've finished, but Jace clamped his hand over my mouth, quieting me before I could finish.

"I suggest you go now, before you say something that gets you hurt," Jace told Kingsmill. He narrowed his eyes but left.

"So, what does this mean?" I asked the others when Jace removed his hand. "Me staying, I mean."

"It means that you are going to train with us and Magnus," Maryse told us. "For now, you can just get used to being Nephilim."

"Okay, thank you," I replied.

"Oh, and our transfer is arriving tomorrow via Portal," she added. "The Clave limited it to one because we just gained a new recruit, and Simon still needs training. Make sure to be at the front door by ten tomorrow morning."

"Yes," we replied. We walked out and Clary left. She still lives with her mom, Jocelyn, and her step-dad, Luke.

"Tomorrow, we're going clothes shopping," Isabelle and Clary told me before Clary left. "You need clothes, don't deny it."

I nodded and Clary walked out as we got into the elevator.

"We'll need to find you a weapon that fits you before you start training," Alec told me. "We can do that tomorrow morning before the transfer arrives."

"Awesome," Jace said with a smile on his face.

"Jace likes weapons," Simon whispered to me.

"I couldn't tell," I replied sarcastically.

That night I took a quick shower to wash off the dirt from the past few days before climbing in bed. I had another dream about my childhood. It wasn't much, mainly watching me as a baby sleep in a nursery. The walls were decorated with wave designs. It was a nice, calm dream that allowed me to relax and be happy, watching the baby version of me sleep in bliss.

The next day I was woken up by a rapid knocking at the door.

"Wake up," Jace said. "We've got lots to do. I'll come in there if I have to," he added before I yanked the door open. I was fully dressed already.

"Good, you're awake," he told me. "Come on, time to get you weapons."

I yawned but followed him through the Institute to the armory, where Alec was already waiting.

"Did you wake him up?" Alec asked Jace.

"Yes, he did," I said with a yawn. Jace just chuckled a drew a quick energy rune on my arm.

"That was the first rune I've ever gotten," I told Jace.

"I know. Now, look around the room and pick something that stands out to you," he told me. There were quivers of arrows gathered around on the floor next to a rack of bows, stacks of staffs, swords, and other various weapons.

I walked over to one wall and examined a set of double swords.

"Those are called katanas," Alec told me. I nodded and grabbed the two swords, in a sheath that forms an 'X' across your back.

"It takes skill to use twin swords like these," he told me, helping to strap them on my back. I pulled one out and examined the strange glint off the edge. "That's odd," Alec commented. "The blades are both runed and have electrum."

"Electrum?" I asked him.

"It's a metal that's painful to demons," he explained. "Only a runed blade or magic can kill a demon, but electrum can also do the trick."

"Cool," I said with a grin. I returned the katana to its sheath and picked up two sets of throwing knives.

"Looks like we've got ourselves a little ninja," Jace commented.

"Be nice," Alec told him.

"Ninja?" I asked him, unfamiliar with the term.

"Nothing. Good idea with the knives, though," he said. "Looks like they're a matched set with the swords. They're runed and are electrum-tipped."

"Sweet," I replied. He helped me strap them onto my forearms and we walked to the kitchen, where we had breakfasts of bacon and eggs.

"This is good," I said through a mouthful of bacon.

"Of course it is," Jace said. "I made it."

I rolled my eyes and checked the time. It was nine forty-five.

"We have fifteen minutes before the transfer gets here," I told them, finishing my eggs quickly. I washed it down with a cup of coffee and we walked down to the front of the Institute, where I put on my sunglasses while we waited.

"You don't have to wear those," Maryse told me.

"I know, but it's really bright out," I told her. The rain had stopped to reveal a very sunny and warm day.

When it reached exactly ten a Portal appeared in front of us and a girl about our age stepped through with a lot of bags.

"Welcome to the New York Institute," Maryse told her, gesturing for us to grab her bags.

"Thanks. It's nice to be here," she said. "My name is Emma, Emma Kaidou."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6—Emma

"Nice to meet you, Emma," Maryse replied. "I'm Maryse Lightwood, head of this Institute. This is Alec Lightwood, Isabelle Lightwood, Simon Lewis, Jace Herondale, Jacob, and Clary Morgenstern."

"You got a last name, Jacob?" Emma asked me.

"Not that I know of," I replied, picking up some of her bags.

"Are you guys _the_ Jace Herondale and Clary Morgenstern?" Emma asked Clary and Jace. "The ones that saved Shadowhunters _twice_?"

"Yeah, that's us," Jace said. Emma's jaw dropped subtly but recovered. She looked at Simon like she was sizing him up, but Isabelle noticed and walked over to Simon to kiss him.

"We'll show you to your room," Jace told Emma, picking up a long case.

"Careful with that case," she said. "It has my weapons."

"Sure," Jace replied. We went upstairs and showed her to her room, placing her bags on the bed.

"Why are you wearing those sunglasses inside?" Emma asked me suddenly when we were showing her the library. "It's not very bright in here."

"Five bucks says she freaks out," I heard Jace mutter to Alec. I rolled my eyes and removed the sunglasses, blinking a few times to adjust to the light.

"Whoa," she said, surprised by the bright blue of my eyes. "What happened to your eyes?"

"My eyes and my hair are my warlock's marks," I told her.

"You're a warlock?" she asked, taking a step back. I heard Jace snicker behind me.

"Part warlock," I reminded. I told her my story, and when I finished she didn't look surprised, only slightly impressed.

"Cool," she said. "So you're twice as deadly as a normal Shadowhunter."

"Not me," Jace corrected her.

"You're not a normal Shadowhunter, either," Alec told him. "I win the bet, by the way."

"You should stop making bets against me," I told Jace over my shoulder.

"Can you show me some of your magic?" Emma asked me. "I've never met a warlock before."

"Technically, I'm half-warlock, but sure," I told her. I focused and sparks formed around my fingers, forming into a flame that I juggled around in my hand before it vanished.

"Cool," she said.

"Hey, Jake," Clary said as she and Isabelle walked in. "Can we borrow you for a few hours?"

"Why?" I asked them.

"We need to get you some clothes," Isabelle.

"Ooh!" Emma squealed. "Can I go shopping with you? I need some clothes for this area. I don't have any clothes for cold weather."

"Which Institute did you come from?" I asked her.

"I spent the last year as one of the people sent to reinstate the Florida Institute," she replied. "All sunny, no snow."

"Well, here it rarely gets above the nineties on a hot day," Isabelle told her. "Let's go."

The four of us left and got into the one vehicle that belongs to the Institute, a large van.

"Where to first?" Isabelle asked us.

I shrugged. "I don't know any of the shopping places. No memory, remember?" I asked them.

"I know a place we can start at," Clary said from the driver's seat. She started the van and we went to an area with plenty of stores for us to go to.

"Wait," I said before Clary could put a glamour rune on my arm. I closed my eyes and focused for a few seconds before I opened my eyes and looked in a mirror. My hair was the same, but my eyes darkened dramatically. "I copied what Magnus did at Taki's." I explained. "I'm not good enough to change my hair, but I could at least change the eyes. They tend to draw attention, and I forgot my sunglasses."

"Did you just do magic?" Emma asked. "Cool!"

"Um, thanks?" I replied. We got out of the car and walked into the first store, one for girls' clothes only.

"Jake," Isabelle said with a sigh when she looked at me. "You still have your blades with you."

"What? Oh." I focused again and the sword grips faded from sight. The rest of the swords and my knives were hidden under the jacket.

As we walked through the store I got more and more bored from watching the girls try on more and more clothes.

"There's someone following us," I told Clary halfway through the store.

She looked around and giggled. "Look for yourself," she told me.

I turned my head and saw a girl watching us from the corner of my eye.

"Why is she watching us?" I asked them.

"Wow, you don't know anything about girls, do you?" Emma asked me.

"I don't know much about _anything_. No memory, remember?" I snapped.

"She's not looking at us," Isabelle said without looking up from a shirt on a rack. "She's staring at you. Has been for a while."

"Why would she stare at me?" I asked them. "Is there something wrong with my hair?"

Clary sighed and smacked me on the back of the head. "She obviously thinks you're cute!" she hissed.

"She does?" I said.

"Duh. Why else would she be following you?" Isabelle asked me as we proceeded to the checkout line.

I shrugged and watched them buy their stuff before we moved on to a guy's store. I got quite a few more black shirts, some with graphic designs, although the girls insisted they were slightly tight.

"Allows you better movement when fighting," Isabelle explained as she tossed me another shirt. I found a few pairs of pants, too, along with underwear and socks.

"Try these on," Clary told me, tossing me a pair of gloves. I pulled them on and they fit fairly well. They were fingerless gloves with padding around the knuckles.

"Why do I need gloves?" I asked them.

"Helps with your look," Isabelle told me.

"My 'look'?" I said.

"How you look, the way you act," Emma said. "With the all-black clothes and leather jacket, the gloves definitely fit it all together."

"Okay?"

We checked out and I grabbed a new pair of sunglasses that fit me better.

"Where next?" I asked the girls.

"Is there anything else you need?" they asked me.

"Not that I can think of," I replied.

"So it means we do more of our own shopping," Isabelle said.

"Okay, but can you at least drop me off at the Institute first?" I asked them. "I'm pretty sure there are laws against cruel and unusual punishment."

"Oh, fine," Clary said with a laugh. We went back to the Institute, where I grabbed my stuff and went inside as they left again for more shopping.

"Where are the girls?" Simon asked me when I walked by his room.

"Shopping again. I had them drop me off here first, though," I replied.

"Good idea," he told me. "Oh, and I'm supposed to give you this."

He tossed me a white stone with runes carved into it. "It's a witchlight," he told me. "Every Shadowhunter needs to have one. You control the light with your mind."

"Thanks," I replied. He nodded and closed the door as I went on to my room, where I emptied my bags into my dresser. I placed the witchlight in a pocket on my weapons belt that seemed designed for it. It probably was.

When I finished taking care of everything I pulled on the gloves and set of for the library.

"Hello," Alec said when I got to the library. He didn't look up from his book as I walked by and looked through the books. I eventually found the _Shadowhunter's Codex_, a book about everything to do with Nephilim and their history. I sat down at a table and opened it to the first page and began reading.

"Wanna go get some dinner at Taki's with us?" Clary asked me hours later. I was still reading the _Codex_.

"Sure," I replied. I marked my page with a scrap piece of paper I found and placed the glamour on my eyes and swords again as we left.

"What's Taki's?" Emma asked us.

"It's a diner not far from here," I explained. "Don't be surprised if you see werewolves, vampires, fairies, or a few warlocks there, either."

"Cool," she said, eyes sparkling. I just chuckled and adjusted my jacket. The summer heat faded to a cool night, but I was comfortable.

A few minutes later we arrived at Taki's and found a table large enough for all of us. We sat down and soon the fairy waitress came over to take our drink orders.

"Um…" Emma said, looking at the first page in confusion.

I chuckled and flipped the menu over, glad to not be the one confused that time.

"Oh," she said, blushing slightly. We gave the waitress our orders and she left.

"What were you reading when I walked into the library?" Clary asked me.

"The _Codex_," I replied.

"Ah, a very good book for newbies," Jace said. "Simon finished reading it not very long ago."

"Cool," I said. "What's on the schedule for tomorrow?"

"Don't know yet," Alec said. "We might start your training. Or not."

"Thanks for being so decisive," I told him sarcastically. He rolled his eyes as the waitress came back with our drinks and got our food orders. When we finished our food and paid the bill we walked back through the dark streets.

About halfway back to the Institute the red crystal on Isabelle's pendant necklace let out a bright pulse of light.

"What does that mean?" I asked them.

"Demons are near," Jace said. "Does anybody have weapons with them by any chance?"

"Here," I said, tossing him a seraph blade. I tossed my other one to Alec as Simon handed out blades as well. I pulled out a sword and my hands lit up in sparks. The light somehow spread along the blade, providing us with a good source of light.

"I don't know what you're doing, but keep doing it," Clary said as she sketched a Light run on a broken lamppost. It lit up again, allowing us to see the demon right before it pounced at Simon.

"Simon!" I yelled. I pulled out a throwing knife and threw it as hard as I could at the demon. It sank into the demon's flesh, causing it to hiss in pain and fall to the ground.

"Good throw," Jace told me as two more demons gathered around us. I threw a knife at the demon closest to me and swung my sword at one of its many heads.

"That's a hydra demon!" Clary shouted at me as the head was replaced by two. "You can't kill it by cutting off the heads!"

"Let's try this, then," I muttered, throwing several knives at its chest. It sank to the ground, vanishing while leaving behind my knives.

"I need help over here!" Emma yelled as she fended off a large creature wielding an even larger axe.

I threw another knife, but it didn't do anything so I unleashed a wave of fire on it, burning it to a crisp.

"Thanks," she told me as I gathered my knives and cleaned them with a bit of magic.

"No problem," I said. The others had dispatched the rest of the demons, so we continued back to the Institute with care, keeping our eyes out for any more demons. We made it back without problems, but had to tell Maryse about it.

"That's not good," she said. "It's very rare to see demons in groups, much less working together."

"What does this mean?" I asked her.

"I don't know, but let's not focus on it now," she said. "I received a fire message from the Clave today. They got my message about Jake and wish to see him in Idris."

"Okay. When do we go?" Alec said.

"No, only Jacob and I are going," she told them. "This will be a quick meeting. They want to hear his story and they're going to have the Silent Brothers search his mind for any clues and to confirm his story."

"When do we leave?" I asked her.

"Tomorrow morning. I'm having Magnus arrange the Portal," she told me. "We will arrive as close as we can get to Alicante, about a mile away. Make sure you're prepared to stay there for a couple days if needed."

"Okay," I replied.

"Hey, Jacob," Jace and Alec said. I turned and they tossed me my seraph blades. I caught them and placed them on my weapons belt.

"Thanks," I said. We went up to our rooms as Alec and Clary left.

"Good night, Simon," I told Simon when we walked past his room. He nodded and entered his room. "Hey, Simon," I added, remembering something.

"Yeah?"

"Can I borrow a bag to keep my stuff in for the trip?" I asked him.

"Sure," he said. He grabbed a backpack and handed it to me before closing the door.

"Good night, Jake," Emma said as we entered our rooms.

"Good night," I replied. I walked into my room and packed enough clothes to last me a few days before placing my witchlight and seraph blades on top and closing the bag. I hung my blades on the chair and my knives on the desk. I stripped down into my boxers and climbed under the sheets to sleep.

That night, my dream was about what happened after I was kidnapped from my home. I was taken to the lab and placed in a glass chamber. Gas was piped in to knock me out, but I could still see what was going on. I watched as multiple machines were hooked up to the younger me and watched Kingsmill walk over with a syringe. Inside the syringe was blood, probably warlock blood.

"Subject 4-1-2, beginning injections," he said into a digital recorder. He injected the blood into the baby's veins and I watched as my hair whitened further and my heart raced.

"Subject has accepted infusion number one. To continue the rest, though, memory wipe must be induced and it must be placed in stasis until last of the injections," he said. I watched him hook up more machines and place me in a glass tube like the one I woke up in. He attached an oxygen mask to the baby's face and flooded the tube with a special blue liquid. "Beginning stasis and memory wipe…now." As he pressed a button I woke up. It must have been my last memory before waking up.

"You're ready early," Maryse commented when she walked into the kitchen and saw me eating breakfast. I had my weapons on and was fully dressed in new clothes. My bag was next to me on a chair.

"Yep," I replied. "You said we were leaving early."

"Yeah, I did say that," she said. "If we stay more than one day Clary's parents offered to let us stay in Luke's sister's house in Alicante."

"Will his sister mind?" I asked her.

She looked down. "She died one year ago," she told me.

"Oh," I said. I shut up and finished eating breakfast.

When we were both ready to go we walked over to the side of the Institute, where Magnus was waiting with Alec by his side.

"Stay safe," Maryse told Alec when the Portal was opened.

"You too," he replied.

We nodded and stepped through the portal.

"Whoa," I gasped when we looked around.

"Welcome to Idris," she told me. "Do you see that city ahead of us?"

I nodded, awestruck.

"That's Alicante," she said.

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**A/N: Thanks for the reviews so far. Sorry it took me so long to update, I've been busy with other fanfics. Please leave a review below! The more reviews I get, the faster I update!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7—Alicante

"It's impressive," I commented. We were standing next to a road, which led to Alicante. The two shining towers were where I had seen them. "What are those towers?" I asked her.

"They're the demon towers," she explained as we began walking towards the city. "They set up wards to protect the city from demons."

"Sweet," I replied. As we walked around I looked at my surroundings. After about fifteen minutes I noticed a ridge about a mile to my left. It looked over Alicante, and in my mind I could imagine a couple standing there with a baby. It would have the same view as from my memory/dream.

"What're you looking at?" Maryse asked me, following my gaze.

"That ridge, it's from one of my memories," I told her.

"We could check it out tomorrow if you want," she said.

"Seriously?" I asked her. "I thought we had to be back once we're done."

"They'll survive in New York," she said.

I was so happy that I could barely keep the pace, but we soon arrived at the western gate into Alicante.

"Sorry, but Downworlders may only enter through the northern gate," one of the guards said when he noticed my marks.

"He is a Shadowhunter, and we have a meeting with the Clave," Maryse told them. She had me show them the permanent marks she put on my arms that morning.

They raised their eyebrows but let us in. We walked through the gates and I never stopped staring at everything around me, from the buildings to the canals to the roads.

"We're here," she told me about twenty minutes later. We were standing in front of a very large building made from dark stone. "It's the Gard, meeting place of the Clave," she explained.

We walked in and a guard directed us to the Clave room, where the Clave was in session.

"Welcome," the person at the podium said when we walked in. We were directed to two empty seats in the front row. Maryse told me that it was the Consul, head of the Clave, Jia Penhallow.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the Clave, allow me to introduce Jacob, a very unique Shadowhunter," Jia told the Clave. She motioned for me to walk up to the podium "Tell the Clave your story," she told me before turning to the crowd. "Stay silent until he finishes explaining his past. Then you may ask questions."

She nodded at me and stepped back.

"My name is Jacob, as the Consul has already told you," I began. "When I was only a baby, I was kidnapped and my parents killed. I was made into an experiment, injected with warlock's blood. Over time, I became a hybrid, part warlock and part Nephilim." I explained my entire story to them, and when I finished they broke out in questions.

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" was the most prominent question among them.

"Use the Mortal Sword to see if he's telling the truth!" someone yelled.

"Would you mind if we used the Mortal Sword to find the truth?" the Consul asked me.

"Will it hurt?" I asked her.

"Only if you resist," she told me.

"Sure, then," I said. She said something and a figure in parchment colored robes walked in holding the Mortal Sword. When he got near us I almost screamed.

His mouth was sewn shut. Countless runes decorated his face.

_Hold out your hands to receive the Sword,_ it said in my mind. I held out my hands and it placed the sword so that I only touched the flat of the blade.

"What is your name?" Jia asked me.

The Sword tried to drag the words "Jacob DiCarten" out of my mouth, but the warlock blood in me allowed me to only say "Jacob."

"What is your last name?" she asked me.

"I don't know," I told her.

"Is everything you told the Clave true?" she asked me.

"Yes," I told her.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yes," I repeated.

She nodded and the thing removed the sword. I sighed in relief. I let the Sword answer for me the last few questions, but the effect was still exhausting.

"Now you all know," Jia told the Clave. "This boy tells the truth. He was born Nephilim, but taken as a child and changed into a hybrid. He did not choose this life, so he should not be punished for it. We must be aware of the army Marcus Kingsmill is making for the Director, however. We must start fighting against him before he does this to more children. All for this proposal say 'aye'. All opposed, say 'nay'."

There wasn't a single 'nay'.

"Good. We will start our operations as soon as possible. You are all dismissed," she told them all.

As everyone left Maryse walked over to us. "Thank you for not being too harsh on him, Consul," she told Jia.

"No problem. I was doing my job."

_Hello, Jacob_, the thing with the Sword said as it walked up to us. _I am here to examine your memories and see if we may glean any information on your past or true identity._

"Jacob, this is Brother Enoch," Maryse told me. "He is a Silent Brother. They are masters of the mind."

I sighed and told him to go ahead. He told me not to struggle as I sensed him search through my mind, examining memories. He would select one, examine it for several minutes, and move on. He finally stopped at the memory of the couple looking over Idris.

_Do you know where this is?_ He asked me.

"Yes, we plan to search the site tomorrow," I told him.

He nodded and removed his mind from mine.

"Come on," Maryse told me. "I'll give you a tour of Alicante."

"Sure," I replied. We walked out of the Gard and she showed me Angel Square, in the middle of which was a statue of the angel Raziel. At the northern end of the square was Accords Hall.

"That is where the Accords are signed every year," she explained. "The Accords is an agreement between Shadowhunters and Downworlders, signed every year."

"Cool," I said.

We walked through the city, getting food when we were hungry.

"This is where we'll be spending the night," Maryse told me when we got to a house near the edge of the city. We walked in and she showed me to the guest bedroom.

"Couldn't we just stay at your husband's house?" I asked her.

"Robert and I…aren't together anymore," she explained.

"Oh. Sorry," I replied.

"It's not your fault," she told me. She left me in the room to find her own.

I walked around the room and noticed a picture of Clary as a much younger child with Jocelyn and Luke.

"This must be Clary's room," I muttered. It was pretty late, so I changed into my pajamas and fell asleep on top of the bed, not even bothering to climb under the sheets.

"Jacob, you need to wake up," said Maryse the next morning as she knocked on the door.

"I'm up," I muttered as I climbed out of bed and got dressed. I walked out and down the stairs to the smell of breakfast cooking.

"Here," she said, handing me a plate of eggs and bacon.

"Thanks," I replied.

"I suggest you bring your bag with you when we go to the ridge today," she suggested. "I plan for us to leave right after we finish."

"Kay," I said. When we finished eating I went upstairs to grab my bag, sliding my seraph blades into my weapons belt and my witchlight in my pocket.

"Let's go," Maryse told me when we were ready to go.

We left the house and left the city through the same gate we entered through.

"Where's the ridge you were talking about?" she asked me when we left the city.

I pointed in the direction of the ride, which was just under a mile away if we went in a straight shot, but we couldn't.

She squinted in the direction, and when she saw it we took off, leaving the road after a mile for a less-worn path that went by the ridge.

"This is it," I said, walking up to the ridge. It had the same view as my memory. I turned on the spot and looked around for any houses. There weren't any, but the trail led into a group of trees.

"Come on," I said, suddenly breaking into a sprint. Maryse took off after me, calling for me to slow down as I ran along the path. After only fifteen seconds at a full sprint I stopped, gasping as I stood in front of a large mansion from my memories.

"This is it," I said when Maryse caught up with me.

"I know this place," she said. "Over ten years ago, the people living here were said to have been killed. Since then, the house has been cursed. The last person to enter it was in a coma for three years."

"Seriously?" I asked her.

She nodded. I sighed and continued to the house.

"What are you doing?" she demanded, getting in my way.

"I need to do this," I told her. "I can't leave here without knowing more about my past. I don't care if I go into a coma, as long as I discover who my parents were. You don't have to go in there, but I will."

I pushed past her and opened the door, walking in and closing it behind me.

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**A/N: Thanks everyone for the reviews! Don't forget to leave one below!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8—The House

"Who dares to disturb this place?" something hissed at me when I walked in. I held out my runestone and lit it up to reveal a demon perched on the wooden dining room table. It was shaped like a dog, growling at the light.

"I am Jacob, son of the last people to own this house," I told it, gripping a seraph blade. "What are you?"

"I have been bound to this house by death," it hissed. "I must drive out all who enter."

"Who bound you?" I demanded.

"The former master of this house," it told me. "Jonathan Branwell. Only his line may free me."

"Branwell," I whispered. That must be my last name.

"I am of his line," I told it. "I am Jacob Branwell, and I unbind and banish you," I added. My hands sparked and it let out an unearthly wail as it disappeared.

"What happened?" Maryse demanded as she raced in.

I explained what happened with the demon. "I'm gonna check out the rest of the house," I told her, lighting a sword.

"I'll cover your back," she said, drawing a narrow sword.

We went through the house, room by room. When we reached the living area there were long curtains covering floor to ceiling windows. I sheathed my sword and flung them open to reveal a breathtaking view of a small valley. There was a pond at the lowest point and wildflowers gathered around it.

"Whoa," I gasped. I coughed from the dust and cracked open a nearby window. The breeze blew the window open the rest of the way, ruffling my short hair with the wind.

"This house is pretty nice," Maryse commented when the room began to lighten up. Everything was still covered in a thick layer of dust, but underneath it you could still see the beauty in everything.

"I'll check upstairs," I told her, drawing a sword in one hand and a seraph blade in the other. She nodded and I made my way up the stairs. I did a quick look over of every room to make sure there wasn't anything hiding. In the master bedroom, though, I found someone waiting for me.

"Hello, Jacob," the Director told me when I walked in.

I growled and threw my seraph blade at him, but he managed to deflect it to the ground with a sword hanging by his side.

"You have caused us quite a bit of trouble since your escape," he told me, lifting the long sword. "I promised the Professor I would return you unharmed, but I may have to break it," he added before lunging at me.

I dove out of the way and blocked his sword with my katana. My extra strength allowed me to block while drawing my other sword and slashing at his arm.

"Jacob?" I heard Maryse said. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I'm fine," I said as I cut his leg. He grimaced in pain and broke away from me. I took the opportunity to launch a wave of fire at him. He blocked the flames with his sword, but it began to glow with the heat so he had to drop it.

"Looks like you don't have any weapons," I growled, pinning his sleeve to the wall with a knife. He just removed the knife and stepped through a Portal that appeared suddenly in front of him. I lunged after him, but my fingers closed on empty air as he disappeared.

"Next time, you won't escape," I growled as I picked up the sword and leaned it against the wall. The heat didn't seem to affect me. I searched the rest of the rooms, and when I was done I began a more thorough search of the upper level, starting in the nursery. The waves painted on the walls had faded and began peeling, but other than that and the dust everything looked well-preserved. I wrested the window open and wedged it open with a toy. I picked up a picture and noticed that it was of my parents and me. My eyes were much darker, like those of my father's, and my hair was a few shades darker. We all looked very happy.

I smiled and put the picture in my bag before moving on to the library, a large room willed with books. I brushed my hands along the spines, feeling as they shifted slightly under my touch, although one didn't even shift by a fraction of a millimeter. I pulled on it as hard as I could, and when it finally let go it only slid out a couple inches.

I heard loud gears grinding as the bookshelf swung towards me to reveal the armory, fully of still-pristine weapons. The room must have been airtight. I walked around the room and looked at the bows, arrows, swords, knives, and other weapons. On a podium near the back of the room, though, was a dagger lying beneath a protective barrier of iron, silver, and glass with religious symbols carved into it. The hilt was gold, and the blade seemed to provide its own light. I lifted the case gently and removed the dagger.

"That's an Aegis," Maryse said, sneaking up behind me. "They are extremely rare."

"What are they?" I replied.

"An Aegis is a dagger tempered in angel's blood. They are extremely powerful and therefore closely guarded. It is one of the few weapons that don't require runes to kill demons," she explained.

"Cool," I said. I placed the dagger back on its podium and lowered the cage. We left the room and closed the door behind us. We looked through the rest of the second floor, and when we got to the master bedroom I saw a silver glint from something on the bedside table.

"What's this?" I commented, picking it up. It was a silver ring with wave designs carved into it.

"That's the Branwell family ring," Maryse explained. "Every family has a symbol that is etched into their family ring. The Branwell's symbol is waves. I'm surprised the ring wasn't buried with your parents."

"My dad wasn't wearing it," I told her, flashing back. "It was about midnight, so they were woken up in a rush."

"It looks like a very old ring," she commented. "It may be the original Branwell family ring."

I nodded and picked it up. "What should I do with it?" I asked her.

"Rings are usually handed down to the eldest son on their eighteenth birthday. It is now yours by right," Maryse explained. "Your father would want you to have it."

I raised my eyebrows at her but slid it over my right ring finger. Surprisingly, it fit perfectly.

"I'll give you some time alone here," she added, walking out.

I nodded and sat on the bed, holding a picture of my parents and I. I stared at it for a couple minutes before looking through the drawers of the table. I know it sounds like snooping, but I wanted to know more about my family. In the first drawer I found a novel, _A Tale of Two Cities_. I removed it and placed it in my backpack. In the next drawer I found a stack of journals, all full or writing. I also took those.

"Are you ready to leave?" she asked me when I got downstairs.

"I'll never be ready, but if I don't go now I feel that I will never leave," I told her. She looked at me solemnly and nodded. We left the house, which I locked with a key I found, and walked to the site Magnus Portaled us to. Maryse sent Magnus a fire message and a Portal appeared in front of us soon after.

"Let's go," she told me. We walked through and ended up facing Jace, Alec, Magnus, Clary, Simon and Isabelle.

"You're back!" Isabelle exclaimed.

"Yep," I replied, adjusting the backpack. We walked inside the Institute and took care of our stuff. I tried to return Simon's bag, but he just shook his head.

"I've got others," he assured me. I thanked him and went back to my room to take care of it.

"Maryse wants to see us all in the library," Simon told me a few minutes later.

"'Kay," I told him. I finished unstrapping my swords and managed to make it to the elevator before the doors could close.

"Cutting it a bit close," Simon and Isabelle commented.

"Yeah, but I made it, didn't I?" I replied. Isabelle just rolled her eyes and adjusted her hair as the elevator went up.

"Good, you're here," Maryse said when we arrived. We were the last ones to get there.

"Uh-huh," I said as I sat down in a chair facing her.

"On our trip to Alicante, we went to the Clave meeting and they came to a decision about Jake," Maryse began. "Jake, would you like to tell them?"

"Sure," I replied. "I am free from punishment for being a hybrid. They've started discussing taking down Kingsmill and the Director's plan."

"Does that mean you have to stay with us?" Jace asked with faked sadness. Clary punched him on the arm.

"Yep, so get over it," I told him.

"What if I don't want to?" he asked me.

I launched a throwing knife into my hand and flame began to coalesce around the tip. Apparently, electrum is good for conducting magic. "I doubt you could stop me," I said calmly.

"Boys, calm down," Isabelle said, barely paying us any attention as she pulled a loose thread tight on her shirt so that she could cut it off. "Does anybody have a knife I could borrow?"

Jace rolled his eyes and launched a knife at the thread while trying not to laugh. She managed to snatch it out of the air right after it clipped the thread.

"You don't have to show off so much, you know," she said with a frown.

"That's one of my many traits that makes the ladies love me," he said. "Right, Clary?" She was silent, so Jace looked over and saw her quietly laughing.

"Yeah, sure," she gasped, her laughing finally reduced to a giggle by his glare.

"Are you done bickering?" Maryse asked us. We stopped talking and looked to her. "Thank you. This morning, we also took a trip to one of the locations from Jacob's memories. From there we found the house he lived in as a baby. It was being guarded by a demon, but he managed to banish it."

"You were able to banish a demon?" Emma asked me.

"Yep," I replied. "It was bound to the house by my father, Jonathan Branwell. I unbound the demon and banished it."

"So does that mean your last name is Branwell?" Simon said.

"Yep. I am officially Jacob Branwell," I told them all. "I found the family ring and a picture of me and my family."

"That's good, right?" Isabelle said. "You now know who you are, what you are, and what you can do. "

"Yep," I replied.

"I've heard of the name 'Branwell'," Alec commented. "I thought the last of the Branwells died over a hundred years ago."

"You mean Henry Branwell?" Maryse said. "He had other family."

"Who's Henry Branwell and what happened to him?" I asked them.

"Henry Branwell was an inventor, one of the brightest," Maryse told me. "He invented the Sensor and countless other devices."

"Sensor?" I asked.

"They're devices that allow us to sense the presence of demons," Isabelle told me.

"Oh."

"Henry Branwell married Charlotte Fairchild," Maryse continued. "They used Charlotte's maiden name, Fairchild, for their children. Henry had cousins, though, so the Branwell name could continue."

"If Charlotte's last name was Fairchild, does that mean I'm related to the Branwells?" Clary asked us.

"Very distantly, but yes," Maryse added.

"It's nice to know I still have family," I said quietly. "Even if they're distant."

"Same here," Clary said. "I thought my mom and I were the last of the Fairchilds until I took up the name Morgenstern."

"Sweet," I replied.

"So, now that this is done with, what's next?" Simon commented.

"We continue like we did before Jacob arrived," Maryse told us. "We will need to set up a training schedule for Jacob, though, that will allow him to train with us and Magnus."

"Magnus asked me about that last night," Alec said. "He said he's free Tuesdays and Thursdays."

"What does he even do the rest of the time?" Jace asked him.

"He has duties as High Warlock of Brooklyn," Alec said defensively. "He deals with rogue warlocks, helps people for a price—"

"Throws awesome parties?" Jace interrupted. Simon frowned slightly at a past memory, but I didn't ask about it.

"Sometimes, yes," Alec snapped.

"Sometimes?" Isabelle said with a light laugh. "He makes up random reasons for parties."

"I'll have you know that Magnus hasn't thrown a party in over two months," Alec told us.

"Yeah, but there's one tonight," Clary replied. "When we went to Taki's earlier an ifrit handed me a flyer for one of Magnus' parties."

"Ifrit?" I asked her.

"Warlock without magic," Jace said. "What's the occasion for this party?"

Isabelle grabbed the flyer and grinned when she saw it. "Apparently, Magnus is throwing a birthday party for himself." Alec frowned. "Why didn't you tell us about it?" Isabelle asked Alec.

"I didn't know you guys liked Magnus this much," Alec muttered. He had a very guilty look on his face.

"Eh," Jace said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Of course we like him!" Isabelle said. "He's your boyfriend, why wouldn't we like him?"

Alec shrugged and seemed to shrink in his chair.

"Okay, stop yelling at Alec," Clary told her. "I think he gets the point."

"Does that mean you're going to the party?" Maryse asked us.

"Yep," Isabelle told her.

"Simon, remember to stay away from the drinks," Jace told Simon. Simon frowned and looked like he was about to say something, but Isabelle clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Can I come?" Emma asked us.

"Um…" Alec said. "Sure, but DO NOT DRINK ANYTHING they give you, and don't touch the food."

"Why shouldn't we drink anything?" I asked him.

"He tends to have a variety of different drinks, not all of them safe for human consumption," Jace explained. "Some will turn you into animals, such as flamingoes or rats."

"Believe me, the experience isn't fun," Simon mumbled.

"You were turned into a rat?" Emma asked him.

"I don't wanna talk about it," he snapped. Jace chuckled but Clary elbowed him, silencing him.

"We should get going soon if we're all going," Isabelle commented, standing up. We all stood up as well and left to our rooms to get ready for the party.

When I got to my room I tossed my swords on the chair. I changed my sweaty shirt to a clean shirt. I'm pretty sure it was one of the shirts Isabelle grabbed for me, because it felt half a size too small. I rolled my eyes and pulled it on the rest of the way before tightening my boots and shrugging on my jacket. I still had on my gloves, so I didn't have to worry about them.

"Seriously?" Clary asked me when we met at the first level. "You don't need the sunglasses. This party will be all Downworlders with us as the exceptions."

"I know, but I like the sunglasses," I told her. She nodded and turned toward the elevator as everyone else arrived.

"Nice shirt," Isabelle told me as she walked by.

"I think it's a bit small," Simon added.

"It was the first one I grabbed," I told him.

"I think it works," Clary said. "It gives you that bad boy look."

"Thanks…?" I said. I still hadn't quite grasped the concept of fashion.

Clary just laughed as we set off.

"You know, you didn't have bring weapons," Jace told me. "It's just a party."

"How'd you know?" I demanded.

"I can see the bulges in your jacket sleeves," he told me. "Not easy to notice unless you know how."

I nodded and we turned the corner onto a different road.

"How far away is Magnus's place?" Emma asked us.

"About a mile or so," Alec said. "Not too far by foot."

We stayed mainly silent as we walked among people going to jobs or their homes. After ten minutes we reached the area Magnus's apartment is at. Another minute later we reached the door, but a bunch of motorcycles were parked outside.

"Crap," Simon muttered. "Vampires."

"What's wrong with vampires?" I asked him.

"I have a…rough past with vampires," he said.

"Most of the vampires in NYC wanted to kill him at one point," Isabelle told me.

"Well, you'll have to face them eventually, might as well do it now," Clary told him. He sighed and we walked up to the door, knocking on it.

"Who is it?" Magnus demanded as he flung open the door. "Oh. Come on in!"

* * *

**A/N: Thanks everyone for the reviews! Don't forget to leave a review! I also have a poll on my profile page, so make sure to stop by and check it out!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9—Party at Magnus's

We walked inside as Magnus charged outside to grab Jace and pull him inside.

"No messing with the bikes this time," Magnus told him. "The last time you did that, I had to deal with a ton of pissed off vampires, and that is not fun."

"Party pooper," Jace muttered. I could barely hear him over the party music, though. Bright lights flashed overhead, paining everything a different color. Music blared from the walls and people around us danced to seemingly random beats.

"Whoa," I heard Emma gasp behind me as she looked around.

"Be careful not to piss off the vampires," Magnus warned us. "They've been a bit restless since word got out about the hybrid project."

"Who told them?" I asked him.

"I don't know, but word got out somehow," he told me. "Just don't do anything to reveal your identity. Downworlders know that there's a hybrid Shadowhunter/warlock on the streets, but they don't know who that person is. Downworlders don't like what they don't know."

"Okay," I replied. We started walking around but Isabelle quickly dragged Simon out to the dance floor.

"Have you ever danced before?" Clary asked me when we got to a table.

"No, and don't even think about trying to drag me out there," I told her calmly. She rolled her eyes and dragged Jace out to the dance floor to dance as well.

"You can go out there, you know," I told Emma, who was sitting uncomfortably. "I won't be offended."

"You sure?" she asked me.

I nodded. "I'll be fine," I told her.

She asked me again, but I just used the same answer so she walked out onto the dance floor.

"What brings you here?" I heard somebody say next to me as I watched the others dance. I looked over and saw a person sitting next to me. She had pale white skin, was very thin, and had blue eyes and dark brown hair. She looked like she hadn't eaten in weeks.

"My friends invited me," I told her. "You?"

"Same," she replied. She smiled, and as she did so small fangs popped out.

_Vampire_, I thought to myself. "What's your name?" I asked her.

"Anna. What's yours?"

"Jake," I replied. "How long have you…?"

"Been a vampire?" she finished with a light laugh. The sound was clear and ringing. "About five years. Took me a while to get used to it. So, what's your story?"

"What do you mean?" I asked her nervously.

She laughed again. "Your hair, silly," she said. "I can clearly see your Marks, but you have a warlock's mark." She dropped her voice. "Are you the hybrid?"

"Hybrid?" I asked her. "No. I decided to try a new hairstyle."

She nodded and grabbed two drinks from a server that was walking by. "Here," she said, handing me one of the glasses. "The drinks don't do anything for my thirst, but they have interesting effects on my kind. Drink up."

Her voice had a certain tone as she spoke the last part. When she spoke I got the sudden urge to drink it, even though it was most likely a potion of some sort. She noticed my hesitation and repeated the command.

"Drink," she said. The voice overtook my willpower, turning it to mush. I picked up the glass and put it to my lips. I was right about to drink it when a hand came out of nowhere and snatched the drink from my hand.

"Now, Anna," Magnus said, setting the glass down. "I would greatly appreciate it if you would not drug the other guests, especially if this particular guest is a Nephilim. Your clan leader would become most unhappy with your behavior."

She snarled at Magnus but walked away.

"Thanks, Magnus," I told him. "I tried to resist, but the way she spoke broke my willpower."

"It is known as the _encanto_," he explained. "Experienced vampires have the ability to bend people's wills to their own. Don't feel bad, many fall victim to it."

I sighed and leaned back in my chair as Isabelle and Simon walked over and sat down. Isabelle looked thrilled and Simon looked exhausted.

"What's up?" Isabelle asked us. "I saw you talking to Anna. Please tell me you didn't drink anything."

"Don't worry, I didn't," I told her. "How do you know Anna?"

"She's a common guest at these parties," Isabelle explained. "She'll convince someone to drink a potion that knocks them out, and then she'll carry them to a nearby alley and drink them dry."

"Oh," I muttered. I shifted in my seat and looked around in time to see Anna doing the same thing to someone else. "Well, it looks like she's found a new target," I added, pointing in her direction.

"That's not a target," Simon told me. "That's James Kingsmill."

"Kingsmill?" I gasped.

"He's Marcus Kingsmill's son," Magnus explained. "I wonder what they're doing together."

"I don't wanna know," Simon said. "By the way, if she notices me, let me know."

"Why?" I asked him.

"Anna was one of the vampires that wanted to kill me," he explained.

"Why are so many vampires trying to kill you?" I demanded.

"I'll tell you later," he told me.

I nodded and we watched everyone else dance.

"I suggest you guys get going soon," Magnus told us an hour later. During that time Simon dared me to drink one of the blue drinks, and I did against their advice not to. It tasted like blueberries and alcohol, but nothing happened to me.

"That's so unfair!" Simon said. "When I drank that I was turned into a rat!"

"My magic got rid of the actual potion," I said.

Anyways, back to the present.

"Why do we need to leave?" Jace asked him.

"I'm going to kick everyone out in fifteen minutes, and it wouldn't be good if you had to work through a crowd of drunk vampires, werewolves and warlocks," Magnus said.

We nodded and worked our way through the crowd to the door. When we left there was still a large group of vampires hanging by their bikes. As we walked by one of them looked at Simon and his eyes widened.

"Simon, I think one of the vampires spotted you," I murmured.

"Crap," Simon hissed. We hurried our pace and I generated a mist behind us to hinder them, but it did nothing to affect their sight.

About five minutes later I heard a shout behind us along with the noise of running.

"Run!" Jace yelled. We took off but stayed close to Simon in case the vampires caught up with us.

"We don't have anything to fight vampires!" Emma shouted as we rounded the corner and saw a wall of vampires ahead of us.

"Yes we do," Jace said, pulling out a bottle of holy water. "Jake, do you know how to manipulate matter?"

"Yep," I told him. He tossed me the bottle and I opened it to turn the water in a mist that I surrounded us with.

"God, I hate vampires," Simon groaned as more and more vampires arrived.

* * *

**A/N: Hello again, readers! I'm sorry it's taken me such a long time to update, I've been dealing with a major case of writer's block and school only makes it worse. Hopefully I'm over it, so I should be updating more often. Anyways, please leave a review! The more reviews I get, the faster I update. Plus, it helps motivate the writers.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Mortal Instruments.**


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